Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton wants to back out of plans to co-host the 2026 UN climate summit (COP31) with Pacific nations if he wins the election. He described the idea of hosting COP31 as „madness“ that would cost Australian taxpayers „tens of billions“ of dollars. However, experts estimate the actual cost of the climate conference to be significantly lower – in the region of a few hundred million Australian dollars. Apart from the costs of hosting the conference, Dutton also criticized possible commitments to international climate financing that Australia could make at a COP in its own country.